CLASSICAL PROGNOSTIC FACTORS FOR SURVIVAL AND LOCO-REGIONAL CONTROL IN BREAST-CANCER PATIENTS TREATED WITH RADICAL-MASTECTOMY ALONE

A retrospective analysis of clinical and pathological prognostic factors was performed in 1 068 breast cancer patients treated with radical mastectomy alone in 1952-1980. Three endpoints were considered: 10-year survival, 10-year disease-free survival and 10-year loco-regional relapse-free survival. Both univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed the prognostic significance of tumour size, histological type and grade (Bloom classification) and involvement of axillary nodes for all three endpoints. Additionally, young age appeared to be a significant risk factor for loco-regional disease-free survival. Prognostic subgroups were defined by the use of 3 main indicators. In node negative patients with T1 tumours the prognosis seemed to be good regardless of histological grade (80-90% 10-year disease-free survival), in T2 tumours the survival was significantly dependent on histological type and grade. In node positive patients increasing number of involved nodes and higher histological grade had an independent adverse effect on all three endpoints. The study demonstrates that classical, commonly available prognostic factors clearly distinguish subgroups with different prognosis, which may be helpful when deciding on the use of adjuvant local and/or systemic therapies.